Healthy Eating Tip of the Week

Drink a Healthier Coffee

The Holiday season often tempts us with warm and decadent coffee drinks – Peppermint Mocha. Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and Eggnog Latte. Their silky sweetness is hard to resist but sip mindfully because these drinks can pack up to 200+ calories a pop. Make it a daily or even several times weekly habit and you’ll find yourself with a New Year’s Resolution to lose those festive latte lb’s.

So here are a couple tips to keep your coffee habits in (a healthy) check –

• Reduce the calories in your favorite Latte drinks by asking for sugar free syrup, nonfat or soy milk and holding the whip cream. Stick to smaller sizes like 8 or 12oz.

• Love your whipped cream to much to give it up? Use it as your sweetener and have it over black coffee (or with a little milk) or a shot of espresso.

• Learn to enjoy the true flavor of coffee and you won’t need to douse it with milk and sugar.

• Ditch the flavored creamers! I know, I know, they taste great. But they’re made with hydrogenated oils, corn syrup and other additives that just don’t do a body good. Use a little bit of plain organic cream.

• Again, go organic if you can – organic coffee beans aren’t sprayed with pesticides. Good for you. Good for the Earth. Good for the workers.

Coffee can be a very healthy drink when taken in moderation and without all the sugar. It’s loaded with antioxidants, has been shown to postpone the onset of Alzheimers and even protect against the development of Type 2 Diabetes.

Enjoy your coffee in a healthier way this week — and for the weeks after